The Manjushree Trail Race (MTR) is the only ITRA certified 100 mile trail race in Nepal. The race route takes runners along the Kathmandu valley rim ridge line and across the seven peaks that surround the valley. As part of this, the racecourse also crosses the two national park (Nagarjun and Shivapuri) that border the valley. Over 85% of the route is single track, where it sometimes takes hours before runners come across a little settlement. Even though you are technically still within the Kathmandu valley, you will feel like you are far away from urbanization many times during the race. 

The MTR has been the result of years of trail pioneers coming heading out into the hills to find and connect the tracks left by old trade routes or created by local communities. We can’t talk about the Manjushree trail and not acknowledge Lizzy Hawker and Seth Wolphin for being the first to connect different versions of the Kathmandu valley rim route, and Raj Pradhan and Narayan Acharya for providing their extensive knowledge of the lay of the land and helping to connect these different trails. However, there have been many others that helped in establishing the Manjushree trail, which you can find in the acknowledgements section. Furthermore, you can find all the different versions of the Kathmandu Valley Rim route under available routes.

The Manjushree trail covers a total distance of 175.18 km, with an incline of 12,695 meters across the seven peaks surrounding the valley (Jamacho, Shivapuri, Nagarkot, Pulchowki, Champadevi, Basmandur and Chandragiri). Runners encounter dense forests and the occasional view of Nepal’s capital from the exposed ridges and peaks.  

After the first successful completion of the Kathmandu valley rim in a single push by Seth Wolpin in 2015 and Lizzy Hawker (running a longer version of the loop) in 2016, several solo attempts to conquer the rim were undertaken (see previous KVR attempts and FKTs). The first Manjushree trail race edition was planned to take place in 2020 but unfortunately had to be postponed due to Nepal battling the Covid-19 pandemic at the time. However, in April 2021, nine brave athletes set out from Naagdhunga to complete the first edition of the race. This was followed by the first Manjushree Trail Stage Race edition later that year, with 26 runners completing the race across four days in October 2021. 

The Manjushree trail covers a total distance of 175.18 km, with an incline of 12,695 meters across the seven peaks surrounding the valley (Jamacho, Shivapuri, Nagarkot, Pulchowki, Champadevi, Basmandur and Chandragiri). Runners encounter dense forests and the occasional view of Nepal’s capital from the exposed ridges and peaks.  

In 2022, over 150 participants participated in the different distances. In 2023, the Manjushree was officially registered as a non-profit and has a board of members that have been helping to establish the trail over the years. Following this, the Bagmati Province Government and the local governments that the trail crosses around the valley have officially partnered with the race to increase the national and international profile of the event and preserve and maintain the Manjushree trail.